![]() Experience has shown, however, that this will gain you only about 20 extra minutes inside. The first is to arrive two hours early to get in the front of the line. On the day of the festival, you have two choices. Warily utilize the Brewer’s Association GABF app, which has had a shaky-at-best (both signal and operation) performance in the past. Commit it to memory and have your significant other regularly quiz you. During the months leading up to the event keep your eyes peeled to the interwebs for brewery lists, pour lists, and the floor plan. Develop a priority list and map. This allows attendees to look for non-downtown hotels with easy access to this transportation system to save a bit of money.Ĥ. If traveling from out of town, begin booking flights and hotel rooms as early as possible. Downtown lodging is expensive and goes very quickly however, the saving grace is Denver’s clunky light rail system with its stop right at the Convention Center. Plan to stay for as much of it as you can afford.ģ. Determine your length of stay. The entire week prior to the festival plays host to a ridiculous number of beer events throughout town. Most brewers and brewery reps have left the building by this session. Notorious for not having any of the decent beer left. The domain of roving packs of bros and convicts. The tasting glasses are made from actual glass rather than plastic, and many breweries reserve special beer selections just for this occasion. This session has a decidedly more sophisticated air. Attendance is capped at a lower number, and the brewer or brewery rep is pouring the beer at most booths. Saturday afternoon: Also known as the Member’s Session as it is limited to only AHA members.Has the benefit of allowing better strategizing, since the pour lists at most breweries are posted by then on the GABF website. Friday evening: A respectable session, especially for those who can’t weasel the day off from work.Additionally, as the first session, all beers are guaranteed to be available. The crowd is limited to those serious enough to take Friday off from work. ![]() Thursday evening: Many Beer Geeks’ favorite.Decide which session(s) you are attending: Once you have your tickets, you can start planning in earnest:ġ. Be sure to sign up for your AHA membership at least a week prior to the presale date to ensure processing time. Membership with the AHA runs around $40 but comes with all sorts of other advantages, from discounts at almost every US brewery to a subscription to Zymurgy to reduced GABF ticket prices. The presale is essential because the sale to the general public sells out almost immediately, allowing only the fastest CAPTCHA code typers through. Tickets are sold over two days, the first being limited to an American Homebrewers Association (AHA) member presale. Preparation starts in July when the tickets go on sale. Use the following tips to help maximize your trip to the world’s greatest beer spectacle. Pulling off a successful festival experience takes special advance planning. While not an intimate affair by any means, it affords the Beer Geek the opportunity to taste beer from more than 700 breweries and must be attended at least once in a Beer Geek’s lifetime. The Great American Beer Festival is the granddaddy of all the beer festivals and occurs every year in Denver. And the ability to try a massive number of beers while still maintaining one’s geekiness is an art that must be mastered by every Beer Geek. They offer the opportunity to try new beers, connect with fellow Beer Geeks, and network with brewers and brewery reps. Illustration © Greg Kletsel, excerpted from The Beer Geek Handbookīeer festivals, when done right, are the ultimate experiences for Beer Geeks. If you’re headed to The Great American Beer Festival, here’s how to maximize your trip. Pulling off a successful beer festival experience takes special advance planning.
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